Be a Groupie: Using LinkedIn Groups (Digital Friday/People)

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing.  It’s Digital Friday and I hope you have a great weekend planned.  Please take a moment to give me a Like on Facebook, comment, re-tweet or share my blog with your friends and business acquaintances.

Today we are going to look deeper into LinkedIn, the powerful networking tool we’ve discussed previously, focusing specifically on LinkedIn Groups.

LinkedIn provides the opportunity to join groups formed around people with common interests.  I am a member of several branding and marketing groups.  Finding groups is easy, there is a directory on LinkedIn or you can use a key word search.  LinkedIn will also suggest groups that may be of interest to you.

LinkedIn provides a list of all the groups you belong to.  You can follow those groups, see what people are posting and make your own posts.  LinkedIn also allows you to establish your own group, whatever your interest might be, to enable others to share their thoughts with you.

There are numerous benefits of using LinkedIn groups.  First, you have access to like-minded people.  Whatever your interests are, there are others in Linked In with similar interests.  Next, you have access to great content posted on LinkedIn and the ability to choose what you want to watch and read.  You are able to comment and have others acknowledge your comments and reply, generating interaction.

Leveraging Groups will expand your network.  When you encounter someone whose interests align with yours, seek them out through the group.

Additionally, I have found that commenting on a site like LinkedIn enhances your search engine optimization.  Comments are picked up in a Google or Yahoo search.

I recommend you join a few LinkedIn groups.  Follow what the members are talking about, add your own comments and establish yourself as an expert in that field.

Look for Once a Day Marketing’s own group coming soon to LinkedIn.  We will encourage our community to comment and share ideas and inspirations to make small businesses successful.

Thanks for tuning in to Digital Friday.  Join us next week for Smart Monday.  To discuss a one on one online or traditional service engagement and enhance the marketing and branding for your organization, contact James Glover: (505) 501-1330 or onceadaymarketing@gmail.com.  I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing and we’ll see you next time.

Dodging Tumbleweeds and Other Challenges (Recon Thursday/Process)

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing. Today for Recon Thursday I am going to share a story of a challenge I faced this weekend when I was out running and encountered a few tumbleweeds.

In New Mexico a tumbleweed blowing across your path is a common sight.  However, the other day when I was running in the arroyo I encountered the biggest pile of tumbleweeds I’ve ever seen.  Talk about your mid-run challenge, it was completely blocking my path.  I was still far from the target distance of my run, so I had to decide whether to turn around or determine how to get past those tumbleweeds.

I could have easily used that big wall of tumbleweeds as an excuse to turn around, but I felt compelled to solve the problem.  My reconnaissance was to climb up the side of the bluff and look out past the wall of tumbleweeds where I could see that the arroyo was clear on the other side.  So I navigated the top of the bluff, made my way back down into the arroyo and continued on my way.

Since this was an out and back run, I would have to manage that wall of tumbleweeds again on the return trip.  Knowing they were there, I had already formulated my plan.  I had gained personal experience of how to get around those tumbleweeds so it didn’t impede or impact my return at all, I just skirted right around them.

When challenges arise in your company, and you learn from the experience, it’s going to be easier the next time you have to face that obstacle.  Finding the high ground and assessing the situation relates directly to what we talk about with respect to Recon Thursday.  Whenever you are at an impasse, gather information, ensure you assess what’s around you and adapt accordingly.

That concludes Recon Thursday, stop by tomorrow for Digital Friday. To discuss an online or face-to-face service engagement and enhance the marketing and branding for your organization, contact James Glover: (505) 501-1330 or onceadaymarketing@gmail.com.  I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing and we’ll see you next time.

Brand Strategy That Delivers: Part 2 (Action Wednesday/Positioning)

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing.  Welcome to Action Wednesday where we will conclude our series with Brand Strategy That Delivers: Part 2.

To reiterate, a positioning statement identifies your target customers and how you want them to perceive your brand in the marketplace.

The following is a template that describes the components of a positioning statement.  Begin thinking about what fits into each area for your company.

(Product/service/company) is the one (frame of reference/industry) that provides (your target audience/customers) with (benefit/point of difference) because (reason to believe) so that (emotional end benefit).

First you identify your product, service or company.  Then describe the frame of reference or industry  you are in.  Define your target customers.  Elaborate on the benefit or points of difference that you bring to your customers and why they should believe in your ability to deliver.  Lastly, add the emotional benefit customer will derive from using your product, service or company.

Now let’s take a look at the current Once a Day Marketing positioning statement.  Remember, we’re a young company and I will be revising this positioning statement over time.

Once A Day Marketing is the one marketing consulting company that leverages digital technology to provide entrepreneurs and small businesses with knowledge, strategy and inspiration to market every day to improve their bottom line.  James Glover, “That Branding Guy,” and founder of Once A Day Marketing has been generating innovative branding and marketing solutions for clients for over 25 years and shares his expertise to enable emerging companies to succeed.

The positioning statement drives branding and marketing for your organization.  Spend time identifying each of the four components identified in Part 1 and add the fifth element: emotional end benefit.  Then develop a concise, accurate statement that describes your company, product or service and craft that into a positioning statement

Based on new things that come into the mix, using your SWOT analysis and the branding activities of your  competition, update the positioning statement as needed.

That concludes Part 2 of our Brand Strategy That Delivers, please join us tomorrow for Recon Thursday.  To discuss an online or face-to-face service engagement and enhance the marketing and branding for your organization, contact James Glover: (505) 501-1330 or onceadaymarketing@gmail.com.  I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing and we’ll see you next time.

Brand Strategy That Delivers: Part 1

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing and today is Strategic Tuesday.  We are going to continue the Positioning theme and, over the next couple of days, talk about developing your brand strategy, positioning, or positioning statement.

A positioning statement identifies your target customers and provides the compelling image of how you want customers in the marketplace to perceive your brand.  Remember we talked about how beneficial it is to be number one in the minds of your customers?  That is the goal of your positioning statement.

Let’s take a look at Nike.  People often get confused between a positioning statement and a slogan.  In the case of Nike, they use the slogan Just Do It.  That means they don’t care if you’re the fastest miler in the world or the slowest, they just want you to go out and do it, preferably using Nike clothing and equipment.

A positioning statement is extremely important because it is the foundation for virtually everything else you do with respect to your marketing and branding.  It drives your strategy and tactics.  Having a great positioning statement will lead to better results in the future.

There are four components to the positioning statement.  I am going to talk about each one and will use Nike as an example to illustrate the points.

First is target customer.  You can’t be all things to all people so you have to focus.  In the case of Nike, they target athletes, but they want to reach athletes with a discerning taste for high performance sports clothing and equipment.  Customers that will pay a premium for equipment that works.

Frame of reference to identify the industry you are competing in is also required.  Nike is in the athletic clothing/equipment industry.  They may have other thoughts about it, but in my perception of their brand, that is the field that they are in.

Benefit or point of difference also has to be defined.  Identify what will make your product unique in the mind of your customer.  Going back to Nike, they use innovation to develop technologies in clothing, shoes and sports equipment that enhances performance.

Lastly, you have to provide customers with a reason to believe your product will do what you say it will do.  Think about Nike again.  They use professional athletes like Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods in their advertising.  They support college football, basketball and baseball teams.  Everywhere you look there is a Nike Swoosh.  They are telling you that if they can make the professional and college athletes play better, they can do the same for you.

Your assignment for Strategic Tuesday is to start thinking about the four components that comprise the positioning statement.  Tomorrow we are going discuss preparing your positioning statement and I’ll use Once a Day Marketing as an example.

That concludes Part 1 of our Brand Strategy That Delivers, please join us tomorrow for Part 2.  To discuss a one on one service engagement and enhance the marketing and branding for your organization, contact James Glover: (505) 501-1330 or onceadaymarketing@gmail.com.  I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing and we’ll see you next time.

Brand Positioning: Being #1 in Your Customer's Mind

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing. Today is Smart Monday, thank you for joining us.  I hope we continue to provide you with ideas and inspiration for marketing your business every day.  We are going to conclude our series on the 7Ps of Marketing with Positioning.

Brand Positioning has two components, physical and psychological.

With regard to the physical component, use the 7Ps, which we’ve talked a lot about here at Once a Day Marketing, to create product benefit appeal to your target customers.  On the psychological side, leverage the 7Ps to create a favorable impression of your brand in the minds of your target customers, which is a slightly different process.

Let me give you an example.  Imagine I produced a workout video that gets you into great shape, and I brand that product Buns of Steel.  It immediately conjures up a certain image in your mind, doesn’t it?  The image of how fit one may become using the video creates a favorable impression and encourages customers to buy the product.

Then imagine I take the same video without changing a single thing in it, and call it Buns of Pudding.  All of a sudden the customer has a very different impression in their mind of what the product benefit is and may not buy the product even though the two videos are exactly the same.

Goals of brand positioning include becoming ranked number one in some dimension of the purchase in the mind of your customer.  Think about that, think about being number one.  Do you remember who came in second at Daytona?  Do you remember who was second in the 100 meters at the Olympics?  Being number one is very important with respect to brand positioning because it locks and impression into the customers mind.

You also want to consider the physical and emotional benefits that you are providing to your customers.  You want them to understand exactly what they are getting, but you want them to understand how they are going to feel with respect to the purchase as well.

Let’s use our Taco Stand example to define brand positioning a little further.  A customer is seeking authentic, fast, inexpensive New Mexican cuisine.  There are many high end restaurants which are authentic however they are not fast or inexpensive.  Conversely, McDonald’s is here in New Mexico.  They are very inexpensive and fast, but lack authentic New Mexican cuisine.  Now, what is the positioning of our taco stand?  Very authentic food that is also very fast and inexpensive.  So, in the mind of customer that taco stand commands a number one position with respect to the client’s criteria.

I’ll be talking a lot more about brand positioning in the future because it’s such an important topic to understand and implement strategy around.

That concludes our Smart Monday.  Please join us tomorrow for Strategic Tuesday.  To discuss a one on one service engagement and enhance the marketing and branding for your organization, contact James Glover: (505) 501-1330 or onceadaymarketing@gmail.com.  I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing and we’ll see you next time.

Inbound Marketing Case Study: Day 75 (Digital Friday/Promotion)

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing.  Today is Digital Friday when we talk about such topics as social media and inbound market.  Today I am going to focus on Once a Day Marketing and share our accomplishments now that we are 75 days old.

The purpose of Once a Day Marketing is to share ideas and inspiration designed to motivate business owners to market every single day.  Our goal is to reach people who are actively seeking assistance to improve their businesses through marketing.

We are also creating brand recognition for Once a Day Marketing. 75 days ago no one was aware of our brand and what it stood for.  I am developing networking opportunities and generating dialog with like-mined individuals regarding marketing and branding topics.  Lastly, like any business, generating lead flow and business for the organization is a top priority.  To date, I am extremely pleased with the results of our inbound marketing efforts:

·         1,500 YouTube views

·         Followed in 40 states and 40 countries

·         800+ LinkedIn connections

·         600+ Twitter followers

·         60+ Facebook fans

Likes, shares, re-tweets and comments continue to increase.  That means people are talking about Once a Day Marketing among themselves.

In addition to social media marketing efforts for Once a Day Marketing, we have launched a traditional campaign as well, primarily focused on PR. The combination of traditional and inbound marketing is producing positive results.  When an article is published about Once a Day Marketing, I notice an increase in  video viewership and feedback.

Inbound and traditional marketing are very complementary.  As you move forward with your inbound marketing campaign, I encourage you to pursue the traditional marketing approach along with it.

Thanks for tuning in to Digital Friday.  Join us next week for Smart Monday.  To discuss a one on one service engagement and enhance the marketing and branding for your organization, contact James Glover: (505) 501-1330 or onceadaymarketing@gmail.com.  I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing and we’ll see you next time.

Creating a Customer-Focused Process (Recon Thursday/Process)

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing. It’s Recon Thursday and we’re going to wrap up our series on the 7Ps Process by looking at the external process of how customers engage your company.

I recommend you start to evaluate your external marketing process by being a customer.  Review the various channels through which customers seek information about your company or buy your product.  Ensure that the process is efficient and enjoyable and all touchpoints along the way generate positive feelings about having engaged your company.

Walk through the physical process and experience the customer has when making a purchase.  Include phone, online, and in person.  Ensure the experience is positive and customer feels good about the transaction.  A good experience will enhance the brand perception in their mind and increase the likelihood of them buying your product or service again.

Polish your customer communication.  Whether it is direct, indirect, social media or inbound marketing, ensure it is creating a desire for customer to do business with you.

Look at follow-up.  Ensure that the customer is happy with their purchase.  If they are not happy with the product, provide a prompt exchange or refund.  Ask for feedback so you can improve your process in the future.  Your goal is to ensure that the customer has a great experience with your company at every opportunity.

Also scrutinize your branding.  Is perception of your brand what you want it to be?  If not, launch a branding campaign to begin aligning the brand image in the mind of your customers with the brand identity that you want them to have.

You may not realize it, but I am molding you into a process engineer, which is a good thing.  Working with process is a key to the success of marketing and branding.  Reviewing and enhancing your internal and external processes enables you to control the direction of your company and supports the marketing and branding efforts in ways that make sense.

Seek out feedback around your processes from your customers and people within your organization.  Leverage that feedback to update and enhance your marketing and branding plans.  Continuously review and refine and then begin another iteration of marketing and branding.

That’s Recon Thursday, be sure to join us tomorrow for Digital Friday.  To discuss a one on one service engagement and enhance the marketing and branding for your organization, contact James Glover: (505) 501-1330 or onceadaymarketing@gmail.com.  I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing and we’ll see you next time.

Launching a Hallmark Marketing Campaign (Action Wednesday/Promotion)

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing.  Today is Action Wednesday when you have fun implementing your marketing action plan.  Thank you again for tuning in.  Please visit our sites to Like us, re-tweet, share and comment.  Your feedback improves the content I deliver to you.

Today’s topic is Hallmark Campaigns.

What is a Hallmark campaign?  Think about a Hallmark store.  They have cards that are constantly changing related to dates and activities on the calendar like Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, or Secretary’s Day.  People and communities celebrate centered on those dates, why not take advantage of that from a marketing perspective?

Look at St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago, it’s embraced it by turning the river green.  For Super Bowl, Best Buy promotes flat screen TVs and on Valentine’s Day a restaurant will create an intimate dinner centered on the Valentine’s theme.  Begin considering how you can create marketing promotions for your business related to events on the calendar.

You can embrace the idea of a Hallmark marketing campaign by determining which “holiday” is a good fit for your customers and design a campaign around that theme.  Engage your customers in the experience and obtain feedback / reactions to make changes in the next promotion.

You will create anticipation on the part of your customers for you next Hallmark marketing moment.  If they embrace it, you will be able to repeat it every year just like Hallmark does with cards.

That’s our Action Wednesday. Join us tomorrow for Recon Thursday. To discuss a one on one service engagement and enhance the marketing and branding for your organization, contact James Glover: (505) 501-1330 or onceadaymarketing@gmail.com.  I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing and we’ll see you next time.

Developing Your Internal Marketing Process (Strategic Tuesday/Process)

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, with another edition of Once a Day Marketing.  Today is Strategic Tuesday, and we are going to continue our discussion on the 7Ps of Marketing and Process, looking at the internal process for your organization.

What are the elements of an internal marketing process?  Let’s take a look at some of the pieces.  First, there are the Mission and Vision Statements which we discussed in one of my previous blogs.  We also talked about something I refer to as Smart Goals which are very Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely.  Take a look at that blog as well.

The next step in the process is development of a long term strategic plan.  This plan aligns with the Vision Statement and defines where you want your company to be in the future.

Following the completion of the strategic plan, create a marketing action plan.  This is a map which defines the action items, responsibilities, budget and timetable for the deliverables.  Once you begin implementing those action items you will be better positioned to achieve your goals.  The marketing process is about ensuring that you launch your marketing and branding plan as designed.

Let’s dive a little deeper into the development of the internal marketing process and look at two tools that will assist you in identifying your goals.

I like to talk about my Oregon Ducks, as you know.  Head coach Chip Kelly has a mantra called Win The Day.  He asks what they can do today to make the team better.  You can ask the same question.  What can I do today to make my business better?

I also use a technique called Reality Based Solutions.™  In that process I identify the next milestone I have to achieve to advance my business.  Then I develop tasks to reach that goal.  Following this methodology, you can create an action plan with specific, actionable tasks.

Once you ensure all the tasks are clearly defined, you are ready to implement.  After you implement the action plan, review it periodically and make adjustments based on the results attained to date, then re-launch.

A solid internal marketing process will assist you in achieving your goals related to marketing and branding, leading to more customers and increased sales.

That wraps up our Strategic Tuesday.  Join us tomorrow for Action Wednesday.  To discuss a one on one service engagement and enhance the marketing and branding for your organization, contact James Glover: (505) 501-1330 or onceadaymarketing@gmail.com.  I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing and we’ll see you next time.

7Ps of Marketing: Process (Smart Monday/Process)

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing.  It’s Smart Monday and we are continuing our series on the 7Ps of Marketing.  Today’s topic is Process.  Before I get started I would like to thank you for following Once a Day Marketing.  I know you are thinking about marketing, even if you aren’t applying the tips I am sharing every day.  You should feel good about it because over time your business is going to be more successful.

What is Process?  Process is a set of clearly defined tasks or actions that create a specific result.  With respect to marketing there is an internal process and an external process.

The internal process is the strategic planning and implementation of that strategy to brand and market your product.  External process encompasses all the touchpoints where customers engage your company, product or brand.   Your goal is to ensure all customer interactions create a very favorable experience.

If your internal process is not well defined and you aren’t planning / creating direction for your organization, how will you achieve your desired result?  Regarding the external process, if you aren’t critically reviewing every touch point that your customer has when they engage your company and their experience buying your product, you will miss an opportunities to increase customer satisfaction and well as sales.

Good process is the key to success in virtually every endeavor and especially with respect to marketing.  I hope I’ve given you the inspiration to review your process both internal and external to determine how you can make improvements for your company and customers in the future.

That concludes our Smart Monday.  Please join us tomorrow for Strategic Tuesday.  To discuss a one on one service engagement and enhance the marketing and branding for your organization, contact James Glover: (505) 501-1330 or onceadaymarketing@gmail.com.  I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing and we’ll see you next time.

Twitter Me. Twitter You. (Digital Friday/Promotion)

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing.  Today is Digital Friday and we will conclude this week by looking at a social media tool called Twitter.

Many of you are probably using Twitter or you have heard of Twitter.  Perhaps you have an account and are not using it to its full extent.  We are going to talk about Twitter and how it can be a great tool for creating awareness in the marketplace.

Now what is Twitter?  It’s a powerful social media tool, much like LinkedIn and Facebook.  It enables you to send out messages or “tweets” of 140 characters.  A message can be anything as long as it doesn’t exceed 140 characters.  Using tweets you can point followers to a website, blog, online article, etc.

Twitter can be utilized to find people to follow who have interesting content that you’d like to receive “tweets” about.  People will also follow you because they are engaged in your content.  It is a way of following and being followed.

You are able to create lists of people whose tweets you like.  You can follow other peoples’ lists and others are able to follow your lists.  It’s a powerful way to begin delving into the world of social media and sharing common thoughts with liked minded individuals.

Consider for a moment of what might make good Twitter content.  Many people will tweet what they had for breakfast.  I don’t care to follow that kind of content, however, I do follow tweets that align with my thinking and my interests.  If you are trying to target a particular customer and you create a tweet of interest to them they’re more likely to follow it.  It can be original content or you can pass through someone else’s content that is interesting to the target audience.

It is important to consider Twitter in some capacity as a marketing tool.  Spend the time to design cleaver ways to engage new customers and to share information about your company.  You can start by looking me up on Twitter @onceadaymkting, follow me and I will in turn follow you.

Thanks for joining us for Digital Friday.  To discuss a one on one service engagement and enhance the marketing and branding for your organization, contact James Glover: (505) 501-1330 or onceadaymarketing@gmail.com.  I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing and we’ll see you next time.

Brand Surprises: Making Customers Smile (Recon Thursday/Positioning)

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing, and it is Recon Thursday.

Today we are going to talk about brand surprises and how to make your customers smile a little bit more about your company, product and brand.  I’ll also share a recent experience I had in the marketplace when having a tire replaced.

We all like surprises don’t we?  What is a surprise?  It’s something that is truly unexpected and typically it makes us smile.  Think about how that relates to your company and brand.  What would be a brand surprise that you can share with your customers when they come into your business or interact with your product?

Every favorable impression you create for your customer enhances your brand.  Remember, the brand resides in the mind of the customers and if they are now smiling and thinking positively about your brand they are very likely to use your product in the future.

Just a few days ago I went into Firestone Tires to buy a new tire for my car.  I was treated very well and was impressed by their customer service.  At the conclusion of the transaction, they asked if I would like to round up the amount of my payment to the next even dollar amount and donate the change to Meals on Wheels.  I agreed to the donation and it really made me smile.

This round-up charity contribution is a very good idea.  Firestone has aligned the fact that they are a tire seller with Meals on Wheels, which is a very good fit.  I thought this particular brand surprise was great.  It made me feel better about their brand.  I’m more likely to tell friends and I’m more likely to return to Firestone in the future.

What can you do to create a brand surprise?  As you are interacting with other companies, products, and brands, take a look at the brand surprises they are creating.  Encourage the people within your organization to develop a campaign that will truly make your customers smile.  It doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated.  It has to be something that resonates with your customers and will encourage them to continue turning to your brand in the future.

That concludes Recon Thursday for today.  I hope that you can create a great brand surprise.  But don’t tell me, surprise me.

To discuss a one on one service engagement and enhance the marketing and branding for your organization, contact James Glover at (505) 501-1330 or onceadaymarketing@gmail.com.  I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing and we’ll see you next time.

Guarantees: Building Customer Confidence (Action Monday/Positioning)

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing.  Today we’re going to be talking about guarantees and how they can enhance your brand and customer confidence.

What is a guarantee?  It is a formal promise that a certain condition will be fulfilled.  For your company it could be a performance expectation, such as “satisfaction guaranteed”.  A guarantee increases the confidence of your buyers by minimizing purchase risk.  If someone is on the fence regarding a purchase and see by the guarantee that you are so confident about your product that you stand behind it, they may be more likely to buy.  This also enhances the brand.  You really believe in your company and product, so will your customers.

Let’s take a look at two of my favorite companies and the guarantees they offer.  The first is High Country Gardens.  The High Country Gardens guarantee states that you will receive healthy, vigorous plants that transplant successfully and prosper. Within one year from shipment, if you are not satisfied for any reason, they will cheerfully send you a free one-time replacement (if available) or refund the full price of the plant.

The next is REI, an outdoor equipment store.  At REI, they stand behind everything they sell. If at any time your REI purchase doesn't meet your expectations, you can return it for a replacement or refund.  100% guaranteed.

If you truly believe in your company, product or service, why not offer a guarantee?  Ensure the guarantee makes sense.  You don’t want to give away the farm, however, you do want to instill confidence in buyers and back your product.  If a customer does want to return an item, make sure you honor that guarantee.  Over time you will build confidence, trust and loyalty in your brand.  If your brand is more successful your business will follow along as well.

Thanks for joining us for Action Wednesday.  Stop by tomorrow for Recon Thursday.  To discuss a one on one service engagement and enhance the marketing and branding for your organization, contact James Glover: (505) 501-1330 or onceadaymarketing@gmail.com.  I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing and we’ll see you next time.

Cheaper Ways to Wow Your Customers (Strategic Tuesday/Process)

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing.  Today is Strategic Tuesday, and we are going to be looking at ways you can save money within your organization and enhance your customers’ experience at the same time.

Let’s take a look at cheaper ways to wow your customers.  Perhaps you have heard of the expression Faster, Better, Cheaper?  That means the product you create is faster, better or both for your customers but it costs your less.  This can be accomplished through both new technologies and more traditional means.

Let’s look at a couple of examples.  First, in banking today you are able to slide your check into the ATM where it is scanned and imaged.  The bank no longer has to open deposit envelopes or physically process the checks.  Imagine the cost savings for the bank that result from no longer having to move and process thousands of checks on a daily basis.

In another example, some restaurant chains accept take-out orders over the phone and provide preferential parking and a pick-up location dedicated to take-out orders.  Customers receive a quality product quickly.  The restaurant doesn’t have to devote tables or as large a wait staff to the take-out process, everybody wins.  The establishment saves money and customers have a faster, better product.

How do you go about saving money while enhancing the customer experience for your organization?  Assess your delivery channels and look for areas of opportunity.  Make a traditional enhancement or, convert a process to a new technology that costs less and provides a better service to your customers.

Once you have identified opportunities, review the costs and benefits associated with the change and, if you determine costs can be reduced by providing an enhanced product or service to your customers, you should seriously consider implementing.  You may find that your customers are thrilled with something that is faster and better and for you it was cheaper.

That concludes this week’s Strategic Tuesday, please join us tomorrow for Action Wednesday.  To discuss a one on one service engagement and enhance the marketing and branding for your organization, contact James Glover: (505) 501-1330 or onceadaymarketing@gmail.com.  I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing and we’ll see you next time.

James Glover: (505) 501-1330 or onceadaymarketing@gmail.com

7Ps of Marketing: (Smart Monday/Physical Evidence)

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing.  Our goal is to provide you with ideas and inspiration to market every day and we hope you are doing that.

Today we are going to focus on physical evidence in our continuing series around using the 7Ps of Marketing as tool to make your business more successful.

Physical evidence is everything your customers, or your potential customers, see when interacting with your company or brand.  Typically it encompasses the store front and the product or its packaging however it also extends to your website and how your employees are dressed.  All of these are equally a part of the physical evidence.

Imagine when customers arrive at your business there are literally coffee stains on the carpet.  That doesn’t make a good impression.  They may be wondering why the business didn’t take time to clean up the mess.

When considering your physical evidence, look at the customer touch points throughout the delivery channel(s) and determine where those “coffee stains” are.  Then create a strategy to enhance the aspects you have identified.  These improvements will create a more favorable impression of your company and product in the mind of your customers.  Essentially you are enhancing your brand.

As an example, let’s look at the physical evidence of the Taco Stand.  Imagine if you walked up and it was very shabby, the sign was illegible and the food server was dirty.  Chances are you wouldn’t place an order. The physical evidence is really impacting your decision to buy or not.

On the other hand, if you walked up and the taco stand was well built, there was a beautiful seating area, the server was clean and pressed and the signage was very clear, you may be more apt to make a purchase.  That is physical evidence at its best.

That concludes this week’s Smart Monday, please join us tomorrow for Strategic Tuesday.  To discuss a one on one service engagement and enhance the marketing and branding for your organization, contact James Glover: (505) 501-1330 or onceadaymarketing@gmail.com.  I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing and we’ll see you next time.

James Glover: (505) 501-1330 or onceadaymarketing@gmail.com

Inbound Marketing: The Fly Fishing Analogy (Digital Friday/Promotion)

Hello again, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing, and today is Digital Friday.

Today’s topic is "Inbound Marketing: The Fly Fishing Analogy."

Before I define inbound marketing, let’s review traditional marketing.  Under the traditional model, you create a strategy, a campaign, and advertisements directed at your target audience.  That material is typically blasted in the form of TV and radio commercials, print ads, publicity, etc. and hopefully resonates with a particular type of customer.  It is often seen as interruption marketing.  Customers may or may not want to receive your message when you are ready to send it.

In bound marketing take the opposite approach.  Your customers find you.  It is permission based marketing.  Using the power of social media, you create content and leverage websites to attract customer that are interested in your company, products and services.  The premise is that they will find your message and follow it back to you.

It’s an entirely different approach in that it can reside at a location until you choose to update or remove it.  There is an opportunity for the same message to be viewed over and over for a long period of time, where in traditional advertisement you buy print or TV ads, they run and then that campaign is finished.

This is an emerging trend.  It has been around for a while but is really taking off.  You will see a lot more inbound marketing, especially on mobile devices, where you can place the advertisement in the customer hands when they are ready to receive it.

Now that you have a good idea of what inbound marketing is, I am going to share my Fly Fishing Analogy.

Imagine you craft the perfect fly, which is your content, and you never have to create it again.

You toss in river that is your market.  It floats along and will continue to float until you remove it.

In the river are all sorts of fish, these are your potential customers.  They will notice your lure (content) and if they are interested, they may take the bait and respond to your message.

You, as the inbound marketer, will receive the lead that comes in.  Reel the customer in by respond to questions, requests for customer service, and orders with immediate follow up.

If you’ve never been a fisherman, here is your chance.  Spend time crafting your content.  The more content you have online, the more inbound responses you will generate.  That will increase your marketing exposure and your lead flow.  It’s up to you to convert those into customers.

That concludes Digital Friday and another week of Once a Day Marketing.  Join me next week for more exciting marketing and branding tips.  If you need assistance crafting your inbound marketing message, please contact me for a one on one service engagement.  I am Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing, and we will see you next time.

James Glover: (505) 501-1330 or onceadaymarketing@gmail.com

People Watching: How's Your Team Doing (Recon Thursday/People)

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing.  Today is Recon Thursday, where we encourage you to take a look at your company, market or competition.

Today’s topic is “People Watching: How’s Your Team Doing?”

Monday we discussed the 7Ps of Marketing: People.  Now we are going to take a closer look at the people in your organization.  The original Marketing mix didn’t include People.  However, nothing is more important to your success than your team.  We’re going to have you do a deeper dive and identify the touch points between you/your employees and your customers.

The people within your organization are your brand, positive experiences with customers lead to positive impressions about the brand and negative experiences diminish your brand.  It is extremely important for everyone in your organization to understand that they are brand ambassadors, that what they say and how they act impacts the overall status of your brand.

Let’s start with touch points you have personally.  They may be face to face, on the phone, via e-mail, speaking engagement or seminars.  Review every instance where you are in front of customers or potential customers and determine how to improve those interactions.  Consider enhancements to your personal appearance and presentations/proposals; establishing a target timeframe for follow-up and improvements to customer service.  Any of those items will enhance the brand.

Next, look at your employees.  Are they answering the phone appropriately?  Are e-mails responses clear and concise?  Are presentations/proposals for clients polished and professional?  Does their appearance comply with company dress code?  Again, look at those touch points and identify opportunities around how to improve.

Keep in mind not everyone is a people person.  Look carefully at who should be engaging the customer.  For example, if a staff member does not have strong presentation skills, perhaps they should remain back at the office.  Use your judgment to gauge each situation.

One area often overlooked is people outside your organization representing your products.  They also reflect on your brand.  Go out to the channels and observe their interactions with customers (e.g., secret shopper).  Include distributors, sales representatives, and even convenience store counter people.  Anywhere you can improve customer interactions will result in enhancement to the brand of your company and products.

Once you pull your team together, promote it heavily to distinguish your brand.  Not only do you have a great product, you’ve got great people as well.

That’s Recon Thursday, to stop by tomorrow for Digital Friday.  If you would like assistance regarding the 7Ps for your organization, please call me to arrange a one on one service engagement.  Contact information is at the end of this blog.  I am Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing and we will see you next time.

James Glover: (505) 501-1330 or onceadaymarketing@gmail.com